Hayatou Denies Bribery Allegations - December 3rd, 2010

The following articles highlight the process of Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) and their demise from the governance of international football and the rise of Global Futbol.

December 3rd, 2010

Hayatou Denies Bribery Allegations

Issa Hayatou, vice-president of FIFA, has denied allegations presented by Andrew Jennings of bribery for television rights to the FIFA World Cups in the 1990s. 

 

In a statement from FIFA last night, Hayatou belittles the BBC program, Panorama, reducing it to scaremongering.

 

“Jennings and his team are under the influence of the people behind this wave of attacks against FIFA. This is false news, pure and simple. They are trying to paint FIFA in the worst light possible, so the public’s perception is impeded.”

 

The allegations specify a document from International Sports and Leisure, a marketing variant of FIFA, in which Hayatou, along with Ricardo Teixeira and Nicolas Leoz, received bribes. Hayatou himself was bestowed 100,000 French Francs. 

 

“The money in question’, says FIFA’s statement, ‘was not given to Hayatou, but to the Confederation of African Football.”

 

Hayatou, from Cameroon, and also the head of the CAF, added his own remarks in an interview late last night.

 

“The money was for the 40^thanniversary of the CAF.”

 

CAF also issued a statement. 

 

“The program does not reflect the truth of events in 1995.”

 

Hayatou is part of the 22 Executive Committee members who will decide the hosts of the 2018 and 2022 World Cup. With Teixeira stepping down at the beginning of next year from the Brazilian football confederation and already having left the FIFA Executive Committee, there is increasing pressure on Hayatou to do the same.